For the first time in history, women’s wrestling competed under the NCAA championship banner, and the Grand Valley State women’s wrestling team delivered a strong showing on the national stage.
Competing the weekend of March 6 at the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling National Championship in Coralville, Iowa, the Lakers placed fourth overall as a team, finishing with 110.5 points. Programs from NCAA Divisions I, II and III competed together in a unified national bracket at Xtream Arena. In just the program’s second season, GVSU produced one national champion, three national runners-up and seven All-Americans in the first NCAA-sponsored championship for the sport.
GVSU qualified wrestlers across multiple weight classes for the inaugural championship event, highlighting the depth of the roster and the program’s ability to compete with established national contenders. The Lakers ultimately finished behind team champion McKendree University, runner-up Iowa and third-place North Central.
At 138 pounds, senior Katie Lange made history by becoming the first NCAA women’s wrestling national champion in program history and the first champion crowned in the sport’s inaugural NCAA event. Lange went 4-0 across the two-day tournament, defeating North Central’s Claire DiCugno by decision, 4-1, in the championship match. Lange finished her collegiate career as a three-time national champion with an 87-8 record.
Senior Rayana Sahagun also reached the championship match at 103 pounds. Sahagun earned two pins and a semifinal decision victory before finishing runner-up to Iowa’s Valarie Solorio. The performance marked Sahagun’s second career All-American finish.
At 110 pounds, senior Sage Mortimer advanced to the national championship match, earning technical fall victories in her opening two matches and advancing through the semifinals by medical forfeit. Mortimer finished runner-up after falling in the title bout and closed her Laker career with a 96-8 record.
Sophomore Sabrina Nauss added another runner-up finish for the Lakers at 207 pounds. Nauss recorded three consecutive pins on her way to the championship match before finishing second overall. She earned All-American honors and capped her season with a 23-5 record.
Sophomore Aspen Blasko secured a fifth-place finish at 124 pounds, earning All-American status after going 4-2 over the course of the tournament. Blasko closed her season with a 60-20 record and collected her second career All-American honor.
Freshman Margaret Buurma placed seventh at 145 pounds in her first national championship appearance. Buurma earned four wins across the two-day competition and secured All-American recognition for the first time in her career.
At 160 pounds, senior Noelle Gaffney also earned All-American honors after finishing eighth overall. Gaffney recorded two wins during the championship bracket and concluded her collegiate career with a 32-15 record.
Earlier in the championship weekend, four Lakers advanced to the semifinal round after strong opening-day performances, positioning the team for a top five finish entering the final day of competition. Those semifinal appearances helped establish early momentum for GVSU as the program continued to demonstrate its rapid rise nationally despite being only in its second year of competition.
The University’s fourth-place finish continues a strong early trajectory for the program, which has quickly positioned itself among the nation’s top women’s wrestling teams. With seven All-Americans and a national champion in the sport’s first NCAA championship event, the Lakers established themselves as a major presence in the rapidly growing landscape of collegiate women’s wrestling.
